Perimenopause is your chance to build strength, boost energy and future-proof your body. Discover why now’s the perfect time to start training.
Perimenopause is a phase of life that every woman will go through–but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. You may feel like your body is changing in ways you don’t fully understand. Perhaps your energy has dropped, your sleep has become erratic or your workouts aren’t giving you the same results. These changes aren’t signs that something is wrong with you—they’re signals. And when you listen to those signals, you can begin to support your body in ways that are truly transformative.
What many people don’t realise is that this transition offers you a powerful opportunity: To reconnect with your health, rebuild your strength and future-proof your body for the decades to come. One of the best tools you have at your disposal? Resistance training.
And here’s why: perimenopause is not a problem to be fixed; it’s a biological recalibration. When you understand what your body is trying to tell you, you can shift from frustration to empowerment. That begins with learning how to train in a way that aligns with your changing physiology.
Your hormones are changing—your exercise should too
During perimenopause, oestrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate, affecting everything from your metabolism and body composition to your mood, sleep and brain function. You might notice that you’re gaining fat more easily, particularly around your waist. Or that you’re more tired, less motivated and not bouncing back from exercise like you used to.
What’s happening here isn’t just about age, it’s about hormones. Oestrogen plays a vital role in muscle maintenance, insulin sensitivity and bone density. As it declines, so too can your strength, energy and metabolic health. But that’s where resistance training comes in. Rather than fighting these changes, strength training helps you work with them.
Your body is entering a new chapter. And like any meaningful life transition, it demands a fresh perspective. Exercise is no longer just about burning calories—it becomes a tool for recalibrating your nervous system, preserving lean muscle and creating a sense of stability in a time of fluctuation.
The science: Muscle is medicine
From the age of around 30, women can lose up to five per cent of their muscle mass each decade. During perimenopause, that process speeds up. This not only reduces strength and mobility but also affects your metabolism, making it easier to gain weight and harder to keep it off.
But research consistently shows that strength training can slow—and even reverse—this process. It helps preserve lean muscle, improves blood sugar regulation, increases bone density and lowers your risk of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes. It can also help balance mood, reduce anxiety and support better sleep—areas many women struggle with during this time. In short, muscle isn’t just about strength, it’s a metabolic organ that influences your whole health.
We now understand that strength training stimulates the production of myokines: proteins released by muscle during exercise that have powerful anti-inflammatory, mood-stabilising and even neuro-protective effects. These myokines have been linked to improved brain health, reduced symptoms of depression and even better cognitive function.
In fact, a qualitative study published in BMC Women’s Health found that postmenopausal women who engage in a 15-week resistance training program reported not only improved body composition but also a noticeable lift in mood and self-esteem. This shift isn’t just about looking better—it’s about reclaiming your vitality from the inside out.
The ripple effects go further: Muscle tissue helps regulate blood glucose, supports cardiovascular health, and reduces the risk of falls and fractures as you age. Simply put, it’s one of the best investments you can make in your wellbeing.
It’s not about pushing harder—it’s about training smarter
Here’s the thing: What worked for you in your 20s or 30s may not be serving you anymore. That long, punishing workout that used to leave you feeling energised? It might now just leave you drained. And that’s okay. Because the answer isn’t doing more, it’s doing differently.
Smart strength training is progressive and personalised. It focuses on quality of movement, good technique and adequate rest. It doesn’t ignore fatigue, it honours it. This isn’t about chasing a six-pack. It’s about building resilience.
What does that look like in real terms? It might mean swapping out HIIT classes for slower, more controlled strength circuits. It might involve prioritising recovery days, walking more or integrating breathwork into your routine to manage cortisol levels. Your goal is to feel better, not exhausted.
This is self-care, redefined
We often think of self-care as slowing down, having a bath or taking a break. And while those things are valuable, building strength is one of the most powerful forms of self-care you can offer yourself. It’s an investment in your physical capacity, your longevity and your emotional wellbeing.
It’s also about reclaiming ownership over your body at a time when many women feel like it’s slipping away. Strength training creates routine, focus and progression. It offers a sense of mastery. And that confidence can ripple into every part of your life, from how you handle stress to how you show up in work or relationships.
This approach is already beginning to shift the fitness industry. In recent years, there’s been a rise in Pilates, running, training plans for those using GLP-1 medications and perhaps most excitingly, programs designed specifically for women in perimenopause. As more women demand education and support that speaks directly to their life phase, the science is catching up.
At Flow Athletic, we’ve made it a point to ensure our coaching reflects this shift, with an evidence-based, respectful approach that honours the complexity of perimenopause—not by viewing it as a barrier, but as a powerful catalyst for change.
Start where you are but don’t stay there
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a weight in your life. Or if you’ve tried and given up before. What matters is that you start. Small steps, done consistently, can lead to profound change. And it’s never too late to begin.
Try a few bodyweight exercises at home. Pick up some light dumbbells and learn the basic movement patterns. Find a professional or a class that understands what you’re going through. The point isn’t perfection, it’s progress.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with just 15 minutes twice a week. Focus on foundational moves: Squats, push-ups, deadlifts, rows. As you build strength and confidence, you can gradually increase intensity. The key is sustainability. This isn’t a six-week challenge, it’s a lifelong strategy.
Remember: Strength is cumulative. Every rep, every session, every choice you make to prioritise your health adds up.
You’re not broken, you’re becoming stronger
Perimenopause can feel overwhelming, but it’s not the end of your vitality. It’s the beginning of a new chapter, one in which you get to define what strength means to you. You are not broken. You are adapting. And when you support your body through this shift, you unlock the potential to feel better than you have in years.
So if you’ve been putting your health on the backburner, let this be your turning point. You deserve to feel strong. You deserve to feel capable. And you deserve to move through this life stage not with fear but with power.
Because this isn’t just about fitness. It’s about agency. And when you begin to feel stronger in your body, you’ll start to feel stronger in your life.
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